If you missed grabbing a cassette copy of Switched on SNES’s analog synth rendition of A Link to the Past, they’ve got a little Christmas miracle for you. There are only 100 cassettes up for sale after filling the second round of pre-orders so if Zelda, synths, or cassettes fit the bill for you or someone on your shopping list, hop to it!

Alongside the new cassettes, Switched on SNES has released a preview track from their next album that focuses on another beloved SNES RPG, Secret of Mana. I wasn’t sure how Hiroki Kikuta’s score would sound with the analog synth treatment but “Into the Thick of It” definitely benefits from the extra boost of melancholy that the Switched On SNES style brings. Check it out, grab a tape of Zelda, and look for the Secret of Mana album to hit Bandcamp in January.

Back in late Spring the initial run of Switched on SNES: A Link to the Past on cassette sold out pretty quickly. The selection of classic Zelda themes rearranged for analog synthesizers is still available on Bandcamp, Spotify, and YouTube but for those who missed the physical offering there is once again hope.

Pre-orders are up now for the second, limited edition run of 300 cassette tapes to be shipped out this Fall. The $10 purchase gets you the gold label cassette with a uniquely colored liner as well as a digital copy of the next Switched on SNES release featuring Secret of Mana.

Surprise, the next Switched on SNES release is Secret of Mana! We’ll be sure to let you know when that new release is out.

Nearly a year ago when Rez Infinite launched for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation VR, iam8bit crafted up a fancy vinyl package to commemorate the release. They’re back at it again for the surprise Steam/HTC Vive and Oculus Rift release of the game and this time they’re offering an exclusive translucent orange cassette tape.

The $35 Rez Infinite PC Collector’s Edition package gets you the fluorescent cassette featuring Hydelic’s music to the game’s new level, Area X, including some new bonus tracks. You also get download codes for the game itself and a digital copy of the album for when you’re away from your hi-fi stereo. Act quick if you’re interested though, only 888 cassettes will be sold but if you miss out there’s still plenty of iam8bit Rez merchandise available from last year.

For those more interested in the game now that it’s available on PC, the Steam version includes a free pack of DLC content that offers a 7-track soundtrack sampler with new never-before released tracks along with an assortment of wallpapers and avatar icons.

The chiptune-rock duo of Marshall Art are celebrating their 5th anniversary of their band formation, and passing the awesome onto you!

On July 1st, the compilation album Gallery will be released on digital retailers and will feature music from Marshall Art’s entire 2011-2016 discography, which includes covers of game music such as Undertale, Chrono Trigger, Donkey Kong Country 3 and a whole lot more including more obscure game covers from Shura no Mon and non-vgm compositions. If you’re not familiar with Marshall Art, their work of NES-style chiptunes layer with guitar rock has included collaborations with several other artists and inclusion on tribute albums such as Danse Macabre and Chronicles of Time. They’ve also been a staple within the chiptune community and performed at several MAGFests as well as 8static Fest to high praise.

The new release will also have 25 limited edition, hand-painted cassettes available to the most eager of fans to purchase for their collection.

“We wanted to give these songs a proper physical release. I’m a huge fan of unique, hand-crafted merch items. This compilation made for a good opportunity to make an album that is an art piece on its own.” – Jeffrey Roberts, Marshall Art

The 13-track Gallery album spans 60 minutes worth of game music covers and other works, and can be purchased digitally tomorrow July 1st on Loudr and Amazon MP3, while the limited edition cassette tapes will go on sale the same day at noon on Marshall Art’s music website.

The ZEN ALBATROSS is different from your average albatross. You see, the ancient mariner has nothin’ on him. Nor do invasive government spy agencies. Confused yet? You need to get to know ZEN ALBATROSS then. This bird is a master of cryptography, and he is also good at dodging the slings and arrows of would-be seafaring jerk wads.

My single favorite chip music album from 2010 was a double-single featuring “Mastada Gestalt” and “April 10,” both songs by ZEN ALBATROSS. Since then, we’ve heard precious little from him. Now he’s back with a new EP (almost 30 minutes long), which you can get digitally or on cassette tape via the artist’s Bandcamp page.

This new EP, “SIGINT,” is a head trip from start to finish. Interested in the finer details? Keep on reading… (more…)

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